A Quebec coroner is warning parents not to let their babies sleep in a car seat for more than two hours at a time.
Coroner Jacques Robinson made the recommendation after an investigation into the death of a 2-month-old baby last year who was left in a car seat for several hours. The coroner determined the baby died of asphyxiation.
That was a worrisome statement for mothers at the Maman Bebe Caf� in NDG on Wednesday.
Using the car seat to get a fussy baby to sleep is an age-old trick.
"You wake up a sleeping baby and they cry and they won't go back to sleep," said one mother at the caf�.
"It's very convenient to let them sleep in the car seat-- even for 15 minutes, it can make your life easier," said another mother.
They were also clearly concerned for the safety of their children.
According to the coroner, letting the child sleep for up to two hours should not be a problem.
However, leaving the child in the car seat for longer than two hours could lead to trouble because the baby's head can flop forward or to the side. That inhibits breathing. Dr. Robinson adds adult as airways are about 2-to-3 cm wide, but on a baby the airway is only as wide as a small straw, and the baby needs to have his head straight back to get maximum oxygen.
Additionally, parents should sure the straps aren't too tight on the chest, because that too can lead to asphyxiation.
He says babies should sleep horizontally, on their backs in their own beds with a firm mattress with no blankets or pillows around the child.
He also said, during long car trips, babies should be taken out of the car seat every two hours for 15 minutes.
